Bead-placing ring.



J. R. GAMMETER.

BEAD PLACING RING.

APPucATIoN FILED FEB.2,1911.

Paternted Dec. 21, 1915.l

/Zlfd A TTUHIVEY U tra s'rrns JOHN-R. GAMMETER, OIF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY, CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

BEAD-PLACING RING.

Original application filed IDecember 2, 19.09, Serial No. 531,045.

` 2, 1911. Serial No. 606,090.

' To 'all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN R. GAMMETER, a ycitizen of the United States, residing at Akron, county of' Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bead-Placing Rings, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to the making of tires composed of fabric and rubber, and more particularly to the making of the outer casings or shoes of pneumatic tires. Tires of this` nature, and particularly the larger sizes thereof, designed for use on 'heavy motor vehicles, commonly comprise a main body portion composed of a number of layers of fabric laid one upon another and held together by a suitable binder, usually of ru ber gum with which the fabric is impregnated, beads secured to the inner edges of the body portion for securing the tire to the rim and' an outer tread surface of soft rubber. y

The beads may be made offabric and rubber, partly. vulcanized rubber, braided wire, or other suitable material, and are preferably applied to the tire after a part of the layers of fabric, say three or four, have been formed into the tire, the remaining layers of fabric being applied over the beads and taking the form thereof. It is important th'at these beads be accurately centered with relation to the tire, and my invention embraces means for doing this and for facilitating the operation of securing them in place. It has heretofore been common practice to form these beads in long strips and apply them around the inner circumference of the tire by hand, thisoperation requiring much care and skill in order to secure proper location of the beads. It has also been attempted in certain forms of tire-making machines to apply the bead strip by means of rollers, gradually rolling the strip down upon the edges of the tire as. the same was revolved upon a core. This, however, is a more or less difficult operation and require's careful splicing of the bead strip at the ends thereof. Moreover, it cannot be used in applying certain forms of beads,.

such as the partly vulcanized beads, which are preferably shaped into annular form before vulcanizing, and must be applied in such form. By my invention I use an annular ring or form which I locate in some Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedDec. v2]., 1915.

Divided and this application led February definite manner 'with relation to the .core

upon Which the tire is built up, using this ring or form to insure the proper location of the bead. I preferably secure the bead to the ring or form before locating the same with reference to the core, then apply the ring carrying the bead to the core, properly locating the same and moving the ring and bead carried thereby into engagement with the tire upon the core. The bead will then adhere to the tire and the ring may be removed, leaving the bead secured tothe tire in the desired position.

In the accompanying form a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the chuckof a tire-making machine, having mounted thereon a tire-forming core or mold with a partially formed tire thereon, a bead-carrying ring being shown located in position to apply a bead to the tire. F ig. 2 is a transverse section through the core, partially formed tire thereon, bead ring and bead, and one of the arms of the chuck. In these drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one specific embodiment of my improved means for applying beads, but I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction set forth, as the principles of my invention may be embodied in many different forms-of apparatus.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral l designates a chuck, preferably rotatably supported in any suitable manner,

as by being mounted on the rotatable shaft (not shown) -of a. tiresmaking machine. This chuck is provided with arms 2, sliding in grooves 3 in the face of the chuck, the ends of the arms being preferably V-shaped and engaging within a .-shaped groove cut in the inner face of the inwardly projecting flange 4 of the core or mold 5. The chuck may be of any usual or well-known construction, such as that of the chucks commonly used for holding work upon turning lathes, in which by use of a suitable key or Wrench appropriate mechanism within the chuck may be operated to simultaneously force outwardly or contract all of the arms 2. By these means the core 5 may be mounted upon or detached from the chuck, the

this chuck in detail as any of the well-known y in which I place the bead 7 in annular form.

This groove or annular recess 9 formed in the inner lateral face of the ring 8 has a contour conforming to that which it is desired to have the finished bead present upon- To this end the recess 1s its outerfaces. sufficiently undercut to allord an overhanging projection adapted to bear on the upper side ,of the bead. T he ring 8 is provided with some means for centering tlie same with reference to the tire. In the embodiment of my invention shown, thesemeans comprise the shouldered brackets or arms 10. secured at their outer ends to the ring, the 'inner ends of the latter being adapted to slide within the inner iace of the core or mold 5.

Three of these arms are prefcably used,-

they being adapted to fit closely within the core. It will lie-seen that by inserting these arms Within the core andomoving the ring toward the same, the bead 7 will be brought'.

in contact with the partially formed tire and accurately centered with relation to the same. The tire'being sticky, and usually the bead also, the latter will firmly adhere t0 the tire in the desired position. Pressure is then exerted on the outer side of the ring 8, forcing the ring and bead held 'thereby against the tire. This pressure may be ap- 'plied by any suitable means. preferably by hammer blows at equidistant points about the rinfr. The ring thus serves by means of the two-sided annular groove for the reception of the outer edge or corner ot' the bead to support the bead both on the side thereof nearest its axis and onthe side thereof repress the bead while maintai ing its crcu' larity, and to fasten it to th' tire without the steps hitherto commonly employed with bead-carrying rings, consistingl in spading and hammering down the bead o1' rolling it. The ring S can then be readilyY removed, leaving the bead in position u on the tire. The bead upon the other side or the tire can be applied in the same manner. The tire may then be completed by 'Winding additional layers ot' fabric about the "saine, and rolling the fabric down over-the bead in any suitable manner. after ,ivhioh a rubber tread may be applied and rthe tiire vulcanized. v

Having thus described my invention, I claimmote from its axis, and unifpxrmly to com- 1. A bead carrying ring having an annular groove in one 'lat-eral tace, and a'plural ity of arms projecting laterally beyondsaid face.

2. A bead-carrying ring having a twosided annular groove for the reception oi' the outer edge or corner of the bead, and means on said ring for centering the same on al tire core.

3. A bead-.carrying ring having an annular surface adapted to support the bead on the side thereof nearest its axis, and another annular surface adapted to support said bead on the side thereof remote from its axis, the said two surfaces having an angular relation in cross-section so as to acconr modate the outer corner or ledge of the bead and form an abutment whereby pressure may be exerted on the bead bymeans otsaid ring to cause the 'bead to adhere firmly to the t1re.

'JOHN -R. GAMMETR.

lVitnes'ses EDMUND QUINGY Moses, WALrnn'IL MEANS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the onimissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

